


Show Time

by kuonji



Category: due South
Genre: Character Study, Gen, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-07-11
Updated: 2011-07-11
Packaged: 2017-10-21 07:12:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 325
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/222343
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kuonji/pseuds/kuonji
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ray's going to stop pretending.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Show Time

**Author's Note:**

> Alternative Links:  
> <http://kuonji14.livejournal.com/41820.html>

It's six-thirty in the morning, and Ray's in the bathroom, psyching himself up.

This is it. Today's the day. The hour is -- what's the word -- _nigh_. Yeah, everything is _nigh_ ing up in screeching overdrive, no more easing in, no more brakes, no more safety net.

He plants his hands on the edge of the counter and leans forward to glare deep into his own eyes. He keeps his face still as he scrutinizes that other man for weakness. He nods. An acknowledgement. A challenge. You'll do, because you better.

He brushes his teeth. He washes his face clean with economical movements. He reaches for his razor, then -- puts it back down. Rubbing one hand against the grain along his jawline, he assesses his reflection. A day's stubble makes him look kind of unkempt, but in a cool way. Stella had liked him clean-shaven after they'd gotten married.

A quick roll of his shoulders shakes off her ghost hands.

He throws a couple of punches at the mirror, dances a bit side to side. Maybe he'll take up boxing again. There's all sorts of things he can do now that he couldn't before. Good things. Fun things. Keeping-his-neck-safe things.

He leans forward again, because this is important. This is crucial.

"I am not brave. I am not a fucking hero."

He's not Stella's hero anymore. He's not Stella's anything. He can be himself again. His dorky, cowardly, rough-around-the-edges self who doesn't need to impress anybody and has absolutely nothing to prove.

No more con jobs, no more undercover 24-7 as some selfless detective that he never intended to be. That he was never _meant_ to be. No more pretending.

Except for the obvious one, of course.

Wearing Ray Vecchio's name and badge, he's going to finally let Ray Kowalski be seen for the first time since he was thirteen.

"Here I come," says the man in the mirror.

Ray nods back.

Here I come.

  
END.  
 

**Author's Note:**

>   
>  If you enjoyed this story, you might try these:    
>      [Duets](http://kuonji14.livejournal.com/40260.html) (Due South), by kuonji  
>      [Double Dutch](http://archiveofourown.org/works/58415) (Due South), by j_s_cavalcante  
>      [And Truth, Beauty](http://trinityofone.livejournal.com/67386.html) (Stargate Atlantis), by Trinity  
>      [yet another year or more](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11354088) (Red Hood, Batman), by wildparsnip


End file.
